Government is a little misleading. This lunch only spot is tucked inside Circa 1857 which is on the corner of Government and N 19th, but the parking entrance is on N 19th. The Cafe has courtyard seating in good weather and quite a few cosy perches inside surrounded by eclectic artwork. You’re also already inside Circa 1857 which, along with The Pink Elephant further down Government, is the top place to find cool old stuff and doodads. They sell original art and art supplies as well, and are part of a complex that includes Mosaic Garden which has new stuff, jewelry, windchimes, small sculptures, aromatics, stones, and lots of new age style gifts and accoutrements. But back to Yvette Maries. A very interesting menu. I saw chicken salad and egg salad sandwiches, beaucoup fresh salads based on spring mix which they also use to dress the sandwiches. Whole, half, and quarter muffs, some interesting sides and a tomato basil soup. I got the half sandwich special which comes with any side or chips so I went with the pressed ham and cheese and the tomato basil soup.
The ham and cheese was crisp and light and made more so by using the spring mix and fresh creole tomatoes. The soup was heavy duty. I know that looks like rice, but it is cheese which reinforced my desire for some al dente pasta to pour the soup (pasta sauce) over. If you are a fan of the light, creamy bisque style tomato basil, you should pass on this one. If you feel faint, light-headed, or skinny, you should go ahead and dig in. I left with confidence in the other sandwiches, and made a note that it would always be a good thing to drop by for lunch and take a quick look around the shops before heading back to work. Or start a Saturday full venue browsing expedition with a meal. Either would work. The rest of this is just shots of the funky stock available at Circa, a pic of the courtyard, one of Mosaic Garden exterior, and a shot of the table placard that had my high school football number on it. What are the chances of that? Makes you feel like you were meant to be there right at that moment.
